Tips to Avoid Falling Victim to IRCTC Ticket Scam After Man Loses ₹4 Lakh
M. Mohammed Basheer, a 78-year-old resident of Kozhikode Vandipetta, fell victim to a clever scam when he attempted to cancel an IRCTC ticket, resulting in a loss of ₹4 lakhs. Basheer unintentionally visited a fraudulent website where an individual pretending to be a railway employee contacted him.
This scammer communicated with Basheer in both English and Hindi, directing him to perform actions on his device, which resulted in a blue badge appearing on his screen, indicating that the device was now under the scammer’s control. Following the instructions, Basheer provided his bank account details and ATM card number, opening the door for further use.
Malware intrusion and financial breach
The scam may have involved installing malware on Basheer’s device, which allows remote access by the scammer, or other software that allows remote control of the devices. Keyloggers may have captured sensitive information, while spyware may have tracked his activities and collected information discreetly. Basheer realized the scam when he received a message informing him about the withdrawal of money from the savings account.
Throughout the ordeal, the fraudsters kept in touch with Basheer through three separate phone numbers. His attempt to enter the bank was blocked, leaving him helpless. As a countermeasure, Basheer wiped his phone to prevent further data breaches and reported the incident to both the bank and the police cyber cell.
App download and multiple withdrawals
An investigation by the police’s cyber cell revealed that the scam app ‘Rest Desk’ facilitated fraudsters’ access to Basheer’s phone. Kolkata was charged ₹4,05,919 in several transactions. Phone numbers linked to scammers have raised suspicions about connections to Bengali and Bihari individuals.
Basheer, a former senior engineer in Muscat, expressed his disbelief at the speed with which the scammers carried out their plan, despite his efforts to secure his finances.
The case serves as a cautionary tale that emphasizes the importance of online security awareness, especially for vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, and the need to remain vigilant against sophisticated scams.
Here are 5 ways to protect yourself from online scams:
1. Make sure you keep your smartphone software up-to-date, including security updates, web browsers and operating system. This helps protect against viruses, malware, and other malicious threats.
2. Create a strong password of at least 8 characters that contains a mix of upper and lower case letters, special characters and numbers. Never write it down or share it with others.
3. Avoid clicking links from unknown senders. These links may be part of phishing scams designed to trick you into revealing sensitive account information.
4. Treat social media as a platform for fun and avoid sharing serious information such as usernames and passwords. Cybercriminals can often target this information even through private messages (DM).
5. Avoid posting personal birthday information on social media, not only your own, but also that of family, friends and colleagues. Hackers can use this information for malicious purposes.
